Q Until two weeks ago, our Chihuahua/terrier rode in the car with no problem. She gets excited when we ask if she wants to go “bye bye,” but now she pants as soon as she gets in the car, climbs on our shoulders and yawns a lot. I’ve tried to take her for short rides to the park, but her reaction is the same. Any advice?

A Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Debra Horwitz of St. Louis says to begin by changing your dog’s association with the car.

Offer her treats for merely jumping in the car but going nowhere. Don’t even start the engine. After your dog can do this with no signs of stress, drive a short distance, return home and offer your dog a meal. The idea is to associate car rides with something your dog likes: food.

Some tools you could use to ease anxiety include an Adaptil collar, which emits a copy of a calming pheromone, and/or Anxitane, which contains L-Theanine, a calming nutritional supplement.

If not anxiety, your dog’s problem could be motion sickness. In that case, behavior modification won’t do much good. If that yawning is accompanied by lots of lick-lipping and/or your dog vomits on car rides, she’s probably nauseous. Ask your vet Cerenia, an anti-nausea drug.

Horwitz says some dogs feel more comfortable in the car when confined in a carrier or safety seat behind a seat belt.

Q Buddy is a 2-year-old Chihuahua. When we adopted him, he quickly became our buddy. However, he’s not everyone’s pal; he howls at anyone who comes in the house and doesn’t stop until the person leaves. We try to distract him with toys and treats, but no luck. What can we do?

A “It’s not unusual for dogs to take some time to show their real personalities after being adopted,” Horwitz says. “For whatever reason, your dog seems fearful.

“Teach Buddy to be calm and relaxed behind a closed door. Begin to teach him when only you and/or other family members are home before any company visits.”

“Ultimately, you’ll want to desensitize and counter- condition Buddy to visitors, and you can do that,” Horwitz says.

Find a dog trainer using positive-reinforcement techniques or a veterinary behaviorist to meet your dog in person, assess the situation and show you what to do.

Q My Australian shepherd lies on her stomach to have her belly rubbed, but then she raises a rear leg and starts to hit herself in the head near her left ear. Is this a nervous tick, or is she trying to tell me something?

A When dogs’ bellies are rubbed, it’s not unusual for one leg to move back and forth, over and over, “but what you describe seems more intense and vigorous,” Horwitz says.

“It would be interesting to offer much shorter belly rubs, then see if your dog asks for more. Maybe this is like how it’s OK to tickle someone for a few seconds, but not for many minutes; it’s no longer fun.”

Clearly, you don’t think this behavior is normal. If you have a smartphone, videotape the behavior and email it your veterinarian.

Q We rescued a 3 1/2-year-old Jack Russell terrier. She’s a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” dog. On walks, she gets aggressive with any dog who gets near us. My husband is frustrated and about to give up on this dog. She’s a troubled little girl. Can you help?

A “Some dogs are more reactive than others, and terriers are right up there, sometimes bordering on dramatic,” Horwitz says. “The technique your dog is using works: The dog gets aggressive, barking and using all those antics. You walk away and the other dog walks away. So, your dog repeats the behavior again and again.”

Horwitz continues, “What you should do for now is simply stay away from other dogs so your pet doesn’t continue to practice this behavior.”

Horwitz says a dog trainer who uses positive-reinforcement techniques or a veterinary behaviorist may be needed to observe exactly what’s going on, then show you how to lower your dog’s level of reactivity.

As frustrating as this problem may be, please don’t give up on your dog.

Editor’s note: Horwitz is also editor (along with me and Dr. John Ciribassi) of “Decoding Your Dog” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014) written by members of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. The book explains common canine behavior problems and ways to avoid them. There’s also advice from experts on how to change unwanted behaviors using science-based methods

Q We adopted a 1 1/2-year-old Labrador from a local shelter. He’s a high-strung dog and very active. We’re concerned because he poops four or five times most days. His stool is formed but sometimes like pudding. We’ve tried two diets, but no change. For about 10 days, we added pumpkin and Metamucil to the diet, but still no change. This dog is very anxious. Can dogs develop IBS (inflammatory bowel syndrome)?

A “Dogs do certainly get inflamed bowels and colitis,” says Dr. Jeff Werber of Los Angeles. Just as anxiety can cause bowel issues in people, the same is true for nervous dogs.

Working with your veterinarian, first determine if your dog is truly anxious. If your dog seems more restless than most, Werber suggests asking your vet about a supplement called Anxitane (L-Theanine), which can help calm edgy pets, and an Adaptil collar, which emits a copy of a soothing pheromone. There’s no downside to trying these products.

Simultaneously, Werber suggests asking your vet about a probiotic supplement; there are several for dogs, including FortiFlora.

Meanwhile, don’t give up on the pumpkin and Metamucil; it may take more time to help.

Even though your dog is active, he also may benefit from an organized outlet for pent-up energy, such as a positive and fun dog training class or one of the dog sports, such as nose sports, in which dogs learn to sniff out scents.

Werber says a dog having four to five bowel movements daily, particularly if they include loose stools, is not normal.

If the advice given here doesn’t help, there may be a medical problem, so contacting an internal medicine specialist makes sense.

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